sea breeze
by frozenmango
Summary: In which Riko and Kanan relax together for the first time in a long while.


**AN: hi it's been a while. i recommend listening to seabreeze by nozomu takahashi to set the scene (the title itself is in japanese).**

 **please enjoy.**

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"Hello, sorry to intru—K-Kanan?"

Kanan raises her head from the small coffee table she had been resting her chin on. Riko sees beads of sweat collecting on her brow, blue baby hairs sticking to her forehead despite the small fan blowing into her face. Her cheeks are red due to the heat, but despite her unflattering and sweaty appearance, Kanan still wears a smile when she sees Riko standing in the doorway.

"Oh, you're here!" Kanan rises from her spot on the floor. She pads along to where Riko is, her bare feet making little noise against the warm floorboards. "I'm surprised that you rode the ferry by yourself," Kanan says with a laugh.

Riko feels her flushed cheeks rising in heat. "Wh-what's _that_ supposed to mean?!"

Kanan laughs again and shakes her head. "Nothing, nothing. C'mon, sit!"

She wraps her hand around Riko's wrist and pulls her toward the coffee table. Riko awkwardly sits down, and folds her legs underneath her. Kanan takes her place next to her, propping her elbow on the table, and places her cheek on her open palm. Her smile is still playing on her lips, and her ponytail blows in the gentle breeze the fan creates. Riko always found Kanan incredibly charming (and she's sure that the young woman's fanbase could attest to that as well), but there was something about this particular moment, sitting next to her, hair swaying freely, that draws Riko into her charm even more.

"It's been awhile since we spoke, just the two of us," Kanan says. "What's been new with you?"

"Mm, nothing much, I suppose. I mean, it's summer break now, and the school year just started for us."

Kanan nods and hums in understanding. "You're graduating this year, right? Or hopefully, at least?"

Riko's face flushes indignantly. "Wh-what's that supposed to mean?"

Kanan's laughter fills the room as she shakes her head. "Nothing, I'm just playing around with you. I know you're smart." She reaches over and pets Riko on the head. There is a certain gentleness behind the gesture, one that makes Riko melt. She hears Kanan exhale in amusement, and Kanan's fingers begin to run themselves through Riko's bangs. Riko's blush rushes from her cheeks to her ears, sizzling them with heat.

"Have you decided what you wanted to do?" Kanan asks, taking her hand back. Riko finds that she misses the physical attention, but quickly pushes the thought aside.

"I'm going to be studying musical performance, specializing in piano."

Kanan nods understandingly. "Makes sense." She pauses before breaking out into a grin. "I can see you performing onstage quite easily."

"It's not like I've done it before," Riko says with a chuckle. "And right beside you, nonetheless."

"Oh, I knew _that."_ Kanan waves her hand, as if dismissing the entire conversation, but Riko manages to catch the pink tint of embarrassment coloring her cheeks.

"By the way," Kanan begins, "where's Chika and You?"

"They mentioned something about looking up courses for college? Chika texted me while I was on the boat that they'll be here in about an hour so that we can all go diving."

"Yeah?" Kanan chuckles, nostalgia lighting her face. "That'll be fun."

"Oh, and You said she wanted some salted fish."

" _Now_ she wants some? I thought she hated it." Kanan laughs as she stands. She throws a "Be back in a sec," over her shoulder before disappearing into the kitchen.

Riko waits patiently. The drone of the fan is loud, but Riko still picks up on the faint cry of seagulls and the crashing of the waves against the dock. A breeze slips in through the open door, carrying with it the scent of sea salt. Wisps of clouds drift past, the sun shining in a sky that is undoubtful of its blue. It reminds Riko of the countless days she spent at the beach with Aqours. The warm feeling of nostalgia fills her chest and she smiles.

Today is a beautiful day.

"Here you go."

Riko looks up and sees Kanan holding out something wrapped in aluminum foil. Riko wrinkles her nose at the fishy odor, but takes it anyways.

"Oh, I got a little something for you."

Riko watches as a plate of palm-sized mochi is placed in front of her. She says her thanks, and reaches out for one. She's confused when a chill kisses her fingertips when she picks one up, but quickly finds her answer when she bites down. The familiar taste of matcha ice cream makes her eyes widen with delight.

"I'm guessing you like it?" Kanan asks with a laugh, taking a piece of her own.

Riko finishes the rest of her dessert before speaking. "Where'd you get these?"

"Dia brought them from America. She's been obsessed with them, and gave Mari and I so many packages that it would last each of us more than a year."

"I never knew Dia had a sweet tooth."

"You have _no_ idea."

The both of them finish the desserts in silence. Just by having Kanan by her side, Riko notices, is enough to fill the silence between the both of them. Even after they finished their food some minutes ago, Riko is content with basking in this moment with Kanan. She rests her chin on the small table, allowing the small fan in front of her to blow air in her face and muss up her bangs. She allows herself to close her eyes and take a deep breath, catching the scent of the sea mixing in with Kanan's.

Riko honestly can't remember the last time she was this relaxed.

"Tired?"

Riko opens her eyes and turns her head to the side. Kanan is looking at her, smooshing her cheek against the table as she rests her head. Even though her face is still flushed from the heat and her bangs still cling to her forehead, Kanan's eyes sparkle like the ocean. Riko finds herself drowning in them, her breath hitching in her throat, and when she notices the tiniest of smiles playing on her lips, Riko forgets how to function.

 _I wonder if her lips taste like matcha._

Riko's cheeks sizzle at the thought and she shoves it aside. She quickly turns to face the other way, shocked at herself.

"J-just a little," she forces out, trying to ignore the crack in her voice. "I-I haven't been sleeping well."

Kanan hums, falling for the lame lie. "Must be the heat."

"Y-yeah…."

"Let's take a nap, then, hm?" Kanan tries to fight back a yawn. "You and Chika will wake us up when they get here."

Riko sits up and turns her head. "Wait, right now—"

But her words die on her tongue when she sees that Kanan's eyes are already closed. Her back falls and rises in an easy rhythm, akin to the ebb and flow of the waves. Riko stares, baffled, but ultimately decides to rest her head again on the table. She observes Kanan's features again, wondering how such sharp eyes can simultaneously be so soft, how such strong arms can be so gentle, and how such grace can turn into princely charm in an instant.

Riko finally decides to close her eyes. A part of her knows that she will wake up with a sore neck, but if it meant to spend more time with Kanan, then so be it.

As fatigue slowly pulls Riko into its embrace, she notices a faint warmth curling itself around her little finger. Riko returns the gesture. She can feel Kanan's heartbeat through their contact, and it's enough for her to crack the smallest of smiles.

Today is certainly a beautiful day.

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 **AN: writing this was honestly a struggle, but im glad that i managed to finish this piece at least, aha. i apologize for the lack of activity, but the last stretch of high school got in the way, and now i'm making my way through my first year of college this fall. im really nervous, lmao, but i thought that writing something casual would be nice. i've been wanting on making a graduation fic or the like with a pairing, but i've been struggling with that too. if you have any ideas or prompts, leave a comment or drop by my askbox on my tumblr.**

 **thanks for the support and the reads throughout the years. love you guys.**


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